Zero Distance Prayers
by Storyteller Ann
Summary: "Please, God of Light! Stop trying to bring me earlier to your presence! If you want to talk to me that badly, come to the Holy Temple instead!" When Sun carelessly though this during a mission, he never imagined the God of Light would actually answer his prayer...
1. Prayer Zero: A Prayer Answered

**Consider this story as a series of one-shots, to happen between books 2 and 3.**

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Zero Distance Prayers

**Prayer Zero:** _A Prayer Answered_

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"_Please, God of Light! Stop trying to bring me earlier to your presence! If you want to talk to me that badly, come to the Holy Temple instead!"_

Sun vaguely remembered thinking the phrase above in a desperate moment during a mission. An enemy had managed to break through Judgment to attack him, and he had lifted his sword in the improbable case he would be able to parry the blow. Needless to say, he was holding his sword in a completely wrong position, and if Judgement wasn't there, it would have been the end of the 38-th generation Sun Knight.

"Praised be the God of Light for the deftness of thy sword hand, brother Judgement."

"My hand fulfills the will of the harsh God of Light, bringing forth punition for the sinners."

Which was, of course, their way of saying "Thank you" and "You are welcome".

This mission had been a particularly troublesome one, requiring the presence of nothing less than six of the Twelve Holy Knights, so when Sun, Judgement, Leaf, Moon, Metal and Earth returned to the Holy Temple, they were welcomed with a big party.

"We were starting to get worried." The Storm Knight confided to Sun "Since you were expected three days ago. But this morning Hell just came back from wherever you've sent him – don't tell me, I don't want to get caught in your schemes! - and said you'd crossed the border of the Kingdom of the Forgotten Sound, so we had time to prepare all this stuff." He gestured towards the banquet and, especially, towards the blueberry flavored cakes and pies that had been Ice's special contribution.

If it was only the Twelve Holy Knights and the Pope, Sun would have only nodded and stuffed a slice of blueberry cake in his mouth, but for the sake of the clerics and holy knights assembled, he started thinking on a sufficiently long answer praising the God of Light. Storm realised what Sun was trying to do and started to look immediately for an excuse to be elsewhere. Anything was better than having to cope with "Sun-speech".

The excuse came as a knock in the Holy Temple's door.

It should have been the first clue that Storm was able to hear a door being knocked, despite the noises of the pparty all around them.

"I'll go and see who is it."

"Brother Storm, allow Sun to accompany you."

_That was short,_ Storm reflected. And since Sun had a serious expression, he nodded and they left the party. Along the way, they met Leaf, who also seemed to have heard the knocking. They kept walking.

"It can't be so serious that the two of them can't handle whatever it is... I would do better going back and eating one more of those pies..." In the awkward silence of the temple's corridors, Sun's mutters were clear. Then he finally reached his decision and announced loudly.

"It doesn't take the three of us to open that door." And when he turned... "Ah! Cloud! When did you get behind me?"

"Just after you and Storm left the party."

"And why did you come out as well?"

"I heard a knock on the temple's door."

Sun was about to urge the three of the to go on while he himself went back to the party and Ice's pies, when the sight of Ice himself and Judgement caught him by surprise.

"I heard a knock on the door and had the impression it was important, so I asked Ice to come with me to check."

This general feeling that a mere knock on the door was worth of the Twelve Holy Knights verifying should have been the second clue. Especially when the six of them continued to walk down the corridors and met Moon and Metal on their way to the door, and a few turns after, Stone joined them.

_Now only Earth, Blaze and Roland are missing,_ Sun thought idly, when they reached the door just in time to see Earth face-palming while Blaze opened the door with a kick. From where he stood, Sun couldn't be quite sure, but...

"There is nobody there." Blaze exclaimed in him booming voice. In fact, out there it was even raining. It didn't look as if somebody would knock at the temple's door, much less wait all the time that it took them to reach the door to open it.

The Twelve Holy Knights (actually Eleven, since the God of Light knew were Roland was hiding...) started their way back to the party, but they hadn't walked half a dozen steps when the Pope appeared.

"What is the point of this ruckus?" He demanded.

"We heard a knock on the door..." Cloud started.

KNOCK – KNOCK – KNOCK.

Everyone stopped, and the knight nearest to the door opened it in a hurry. There was still no one there.

"Hey, look at that!" Someone pointed to the floor a few paces away from the temple. There the rain water was forming some sort of pattern.

"It looks like the God of Light's emblem." And, indeed, it did.

"And it stopped raining above it."

"Is it only my impression, or is it getting brighter?"

It was.

Because, from heaven, a column of light descended, and when it touched the emblem on the floor, a figure emerged of the light.

It was the God of Light himself.

At first, the Pope and the Twelve (Eleven) Holy Knights couldn't be sure, but they couldn't have any doubt when the heavenly figure's first words were:

"Hi. I am the God of Light." Followed by: "Since the fifteenth generation of Holy Knights I've been thinking about visiting, so this time I just decided to accept Sun's invitation."

Sun felt eleven pair of eyes boring holes in him, but he was too ocupied remembering something.

"...come to the Holy Temple instead!"

Crap. But what could he possibly do? Turn down the God of Light telling him it was only a misunderstanding? That wouldn't do. So he switched on his most warm smile.

"Welcome to the Holy Temple." He felt tempted to add a title, but if you called a pope "your holiness", what possibly could you call a god?

If the God of Light felt need of a title, he didn't say so. Instead, he just beamed and climbed the temple stairs two steps at a time, carrying a suspiciously large suitcase no one had noticed before.

"Thanks. Where can I put my stuff?"

And like this the God of Light started his stay in the Holy Temple, for indefinite time.

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**This is it. I hope you like it, and, even if you don't I hope you'll review so I can improve.**


	2. Prayer One: First Impressions

Zero Distance Prayers

**Prayer One:** _First Impressions._

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The presence of the God of Light inside the Holy Temple was kept a secret among the Pope and the Twelve Holy Knights. Even though they still weren't sure about how to properly address him in private, in front of others they called him by the name he had given.

"The used to be a name I used..." He put on a concentrated frown. "Lig, Dritë, Licht... Guang, Bich, Limyè... No, it wasn't one of those. Let me see... Lumo, Valgus, Valo, Svet... Garjazla... No, definitely not that. Galad? No, but it was almost that... Calad! Yes, that is it, you can call me Calad."

It wasn't that the God of Light – or Calad, as they had agreed calling him – wasn't an easy-going person, but it was just...

"... awkward!" The following morning found Earth following Leaf around the corridors of the Holy Temple, complaining about his luck. "I suppose it must not be so bad to you, because you _are_ a 'really nice guy', Leaf, but I have the feeling that he knows exactly how I am and it d-doesn't h-help..." He remembered stuttering when they passed someone. "... that he looks just like Sun!"

"Do you really think so?" Leaf asked distractedly. "I mean, the hair and eyes are really the same, but... Don't you think he looks like Blaze a little?"

"Blaze? No way, I mean, he is so... petite."

It was true. "Calad" looked a lot like Sun, but a head shorter. Almost like a impish younger brother.

"Yeah, but, I don't know... He seems so... energetic. Pretty much like Blaze."

"Well, since you mentioned..."

* * *

Around the Holy Temple, other conversations of the same kind where taking place.

"Don't you think he looks exactly like Knight-Captain Judgement? Except for the fact that he looks exactly like Sun?" Moon asked Metal.

"I didn't think so. There's something... right... about this guy." - because he couldn't say that there was something "wrong" with the God of Light - "Something just too awfully... 'good, warm-hearted faction' about him that pisses me off."

Moon looked around hurriedly and chided.

"You shouldn't go saying things like this."

* * *

"Storm? Are you alright?"

"Blaze? Is that you?"

"Yeah... it's me. What happened to you? Your eyes are worse than usual!"

Storm Knight's eyes were red and puffed, and twitched occasionally, as if he was winking without realizing.

"I have been working extra hard to court all the female in the Sanctuary of Light." His face as he said that was so composed that one could guess he was trying hard not to blush.

Blaze was flabbergasted.

"Why?"

"Sigh... It must be so good to be you, Blaze... You never had any problem with the Blaze Knight assigned character..."

"Ah, is it why the lot of you are suddenly fidgy and walking on your tip-toes?"

"Wouldn't you, if you were me, or Earth?" Or Sun, or – Storm suspected – half the "cruel, cold-hearted faction".

"..." Blaze considered the thought for one instant. "No."

"No?!"

"No." He shrugged. "He chose us, didn't he? Or, rather, or teachers chose us and he let them and blessed us with his favor when we assumed, right?"

"Er... right. Yeah! I think you are right, Blaze! Thank you!"

Storm's footsteps were much lighter when he walked away, leaving Blaze to wander why on earth everyone was so freaked out.

* * *

"Why on earth is everyone so freaked out?" Calad asked the Pope in a whinny tone.

The Pope couldn't quite answer that. They were having lunch in the Pope's study, so there was no chance of they being overheard, but the Pope had no idea of what would be appropriated to say. He was feeling slightly freaked out himself. Fortunately, Calad kept talking.

"I mean, it's almost as if everyone is making themselves busy on purpose, so I won't pass them on the corridors!"

"I'm sure it's just... the novelty of the situation. They'll get used to it soon." The Pope tried a comforting tone.

Calad kept using his fork to push the peas to one side and another of the plate.

"I suppose it's my own fault. I should have visited more often."

"Come on, don't be like this. I am sure you were pretty busy."

"Not particularly."

"But there was the Contract of the Gods to consider."

Calad frowned.

"The Contract of the Gods? Oh, that! Actually, there's no clause in that to prevent me to come visiting. Us gods are only forbidden to _directly interfere_ so, as long as I don't _do_ things, I can come as often and stay as much as I want to. And I should have done so. Shadow comes all the time."

"When you say 'Shadow'... Do you mean the Shadow God from the Shadow Cathedral?"

"Yup."

"And you said he comes to earth all the time?"

"Well, since the first generation I have only come personally twice, while he came about a dozen times. Besides, he always picks the next Demon King personally. If you ask me, he keeps the Shadow Cathedral in far too short reins. He likes to fancy himself as a 'Chaos Deity', but I think he's actually sort of a control freak. Or, sometimes, just a freak..."

The Pope was so surprised that he wasn't even able to laugh. There he was, the God of Light himself, talking about the Shadow God the same way a teenager would talk about another teenager, and all the time playing with the food on his plate.

"You don't need to eat the peas if you don't want to."

Surprised, Calad looked at his plate. Then he just beamed and pushed his plate aside.

"Does this mean we can have dessert already?"

_Helplessly like Sun..._ The Pope whined.

* * *

"So bright..." Cloud muttered from his hiding place. He was currently inside a cabinet in the Judgement Complex. In fact, inside a cabinet inside the court, during one of Judgement's trials.

Usually he wouldn't come to such a dark place, but his presence here could be explained by the person hidden in the cabinet with him. It was Calad.

"Did you say something?"

"No..." Like Sun, Calad was a bright vision, but what had been puzzling Cloud was why – being the God of Light and everything else – he wasn't even brighter.

He had decided to follow Calad around the Holy Temple, and this decision had taken him to the Judgement Complex. Calad had taken a seat from where he could see both the Judgement Knight and the criminal in trial, and Cloud had hid in the cabinet exactly opposite from him, from where he could see everything. Suddenly, Calad had gotten up and walked directly to the cabinet. Then he murmured conspiratorially.

"Hey, Cloud, can I hide with you? I wanted to watch the trials, but I think it's better if I don't break Judgement's concentration."

And that was how Cloud ended up hiding inside a cabinet in Judgement complex together with the God of Light.

At least, Cloud reflected, Calad wasn't paying attention in him. He had all his attention focused in the trial in session, and Cloud wasn't sure if this was caused by the poor illumination inside the cabinet, but Calad's blue eyes suddenly seemed black.

Cloud shook his head. This must not be so. He probably only had this impression because Calad's expression was so serious. In fact, he was very glad it wasn't him receiving that gaze, because it certainly made people think about the Judgement Knight's catch phrase: "The harsh God of Light will punish your sins".

When the last criminal was dragged away begging for mercy, Cloud saw the Judgement Knight hurrying in the opposite direction with an expression as if he was sick.

"You have cool hiding places, Cloud. We should do it again any of these days." Calad said suddenly, and left the cabinet to go after Judgement.

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**Two notes about this chapter:**

**1- It seems I have some troubles dividing chapters. For example, this chapter eneded up being an introduction for the next chapter, but I couldn't help it because I really felt the dialogues between the Twelve Holy Knights were very important.**

**2- I needed to give the God of Light a name, both for plot and convenience's sake. I tried "Light" in all languages of Google translator, but none caught my eye, so I resorted to (Tolkien's) elven language and from a dozen words with tha same meaning chose the one I liked better.**

**Since this story just started, I am still trying to get things right, so reviews aren't only appreciated, they are NEEDED.**


	3. Prayer Two: A Very Good Listener

Zero Distance Prayers

**Prayer Two:** _A Very Good Listener_

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Sun approached the abandoned bathroom carrying two stools, a handkerchief and clean water, only to see Judgement entering hurriedly.

_Damn it, I am late. _He thought. He was about to enter when he saw a person with suspicious golden hair and suspicious blue eyes coming I his direction.

"Hi, Sun! Since you're here, can you lend me those?" Calad gestured towards the stuff Sun was carrying. "I want to have a word with Knight-Captain Judgement in private."

Speechless, Sun handed the items Calad had required and left, for he had clearly been dismissed. He glanced behind once or twice, worried about Judgement, and out of habit he almost muttered a prayer for his friend. He stopped just in time. What was the use of praying to the God of Light for Judgement to be okay after a conversation with the God of Light?

* * *

After vomiting in the toilet the contents of his last three meals, Lesus Judgement took a deep breath. Today he was particularly upset about himself. Today's criminals had been accused of milder crimes than the ones he dealt with usually, so even the ones who had actually been sentenced had received somewhat mild sentences, but they still made him feel sick...

He stopped his trail of thought when he heard a pair of stools being placed on the floor. He left the toilet cabin and accepted the wet handkerchief that a fair hand was offering him. At least, he smiled after cleaning his face, he and Sun would be able to talk. With all the recent commotion, it had been ages since they had had a decent conversation, and it was really starting to weight down on him.

"Weak human hearts can only walk the right path when constantly reminded of the harshness of the God of Light." Out of habit, he started camouflaging his sentences. The above should mean something along the lines of "It's been awhile."

"But the duty of doing so weights on the shoulders of those who know the God of Light's mercy."

Judgement's smile died on his face when he finally looked at the person who was sitting in the stool across him. It was the God of Light. And he was _pouting_.

"You know, you don't need to look _that_ disappointed. Sun _was_ coming, but I sent him away because I wanted to chat with you."

Judgement tried to keep a composed expression and nodded, waiting for Calad to get to the point. The deity didn't waste his time, and suddenly was all serious. He looked into Judgement's eyes, and asked.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Judgement thought about saying he had nothing he wanted to talk about, but something stopped him. Calad had a look and a set of his shoulders that was just like Stone's when he was denying fervently to be stubborn. It was a look of absolute stubbornness.

"Today I judged some criminals." Lesus started, instead.

When Calad saw he was going to talk after all, he leaned forward with a look of interest so genuine that Judgement felt compelled to keep talking.

"They were some burglars and smugglers. I had to interrogate them thoroughly to make them confess, but they only denounced their cronies and reported the location of the hideout under torture."

Calad's honest and interested face would make Earth run for his money.

"That's the part I hate the most. When I'm torturing criminals, I feel like I'm going down the same path as them. It sickens me. I do understand that criminals must be punished, but does the punishment have to be so harsh?"

"I know that the answer is 'yes'. I've had the chance to observe how people who are intent on doing mischief will only be stopped by fear of a harsh punishment. But why does the task of punishing them befall on me?"

"I am the Judgement Knight, alright. But what does it mean? Is it only to be black-eyed, black-haired, black-robed and scary? Who made this the image of the Judgement Knight in the first place?"

"It's not that I am complaining. I know the Twelve Holy Knights keep to their assigned personalities as a symbol that things like 'justice' never change over the generations, so I try very hard to be a good – or perhaps, bad – Judgement Knight. It's just... Sometimes I get really tired. These talks I have with Sun here in this bathroom... They are really refreshing. I wish we didn't have to pretend we are sworn enemies."

"But them, again, what else could we be? Most people can't see how 'mercy' and 'justice' could exist at the same time. Sometimes I'm not sure I understand it myself."

Judgement stopped talking, realizing he hadn't spoken so freely for... perhaps he had never spoken so freely. He had said some of those things to Sun, but not all of it, because they were trying to keep their conversation brief and Sun had quickly came up with a word of consolation.

"You do understand it. That is why I made you my Judgement Knight." Calad said quietly.

"Thank you, sir. You're... you're a very good listener." Lesus didn't know another way of expressing his gratitude. To his surprise, Calad crossed his arms with an stern expression and said, with a tone of righteous indignation.

"Of course I am a good listener! I have been listening prayers for centuries! These days it seems like it's the only thing I do, so what kind of god I would be if I couldn't get it right? By the way..." Calad looked amused again. "You should pray a little more for yourself, Lesus. You and Grisia seem to think that as long as the other is fine, you can be sure everything will end up well."

"Really?" Judgement couldn't help but smile. He had faith that Sun was a reliable person and a good leader, even though these qualities weren't always apparent. And he also knew that Sun depended on him, like "As long as you back me up, I can get things right." Despite everything he had to bear as the Judgement Knight, Lesus knew he at least had the best friend he could wish for. He asked Calad. "Is it bad?"

Calad chuckled.

"I don't think so. Now, we've been in here for quite a while. I think your vice-captain is looking for you. What was his name again?"

"Vader."

"I'll try to remember that."

Judgement got up and was about to leave when Calad complained.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"But you've just said..."

"Oh, no! No Judgement Knight of mine will ever meet his underlings with such a messy appearance. Come here." When Lesus got closer, Calad started dusting off and straightening his clothes. After finishing with the robes, he started combing Lesus' hair, and even moistened his finger to tidy Lesus' eyebrows. Even Leaf - the mother of the good, warm faction – would have trouble beating Calad's concerned expression.

"Can I go now?"

"Just one last thing. The smile."

Startled, Judgement realized he had been smiling for quite some time now. He took a deep breath and put on his usual severe expression.

"So cute!" Calad pinched his cheek, but Lesus managed to keep composed. "Now say something about my harshness."

"May you walk in the path of justice and avoid bringing over your head the harshness of the God of Light."

"Yeah, have a good day, you too."

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**This chapter was super difficult to write, and it didn't come out as I wanted to. In my mind, Lesus was going to talk a lot more before getting to the point. In my mind it sounded more proper, but when I read what I've just written... it's, I don't know, kind of lame. Sort of out of character. Or am I only being paranoid? Please review and let me know.**

**Also, tell me which knight you want the God of Light to interview next. I'll try to post the next chapter soon, because from March onwards, I won't be able to post absolutely anything for 18 months.**


	4. Prayer N: Looking Very Lively

**There I was, getting all upset besause after 2 days no one had reviewed this chapter yet, when I suddenly realized I had uploaded the doc, but not posted the chapter. :P**

**Now, there it is. Please review!**

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**Important:**

**1- About the time of the story, it's set between volumes 2 and 3, but in my fanfiction the interval between them is a few months, instead of a few days.**

**2- Since people (bleeb90 and Alex Penedo) wanted to read about Roland (and I wanted to write about him too), I decided to write this chapter now, and write about the other knights as the ideas pop up in my mind, and when I'm finished, I'll rearrange them more or less chronologically.**

**Also, that 18 month break I mentioned, now I have the details – I know where and when I'm going – so you'll have me until May. Review and make suggestion about the next knight to be interviewed while you can!**

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Zero Distance Prayers

**Chapter N:** _You've been looking very lively these days._

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"Knight-Captain Hell?" The Hell Platoon Vice-Captain, Tyler, asked in uncertainty. He was in a dark alley, because his captain had asked him to meet him there, but the place semed empty.

"I'm here." Roland's voice came from a distance of only a few meters. Tyler couldn't help but being impressed. Even though Supreme Dragon's assassin's clothes were out of place, even flamboyant, in the Holy Temple, they were the real things for stealth missions in the night, and he _supposed_ the job of the Hell Knight _did_ involve lots of stealth missions.

"Here are the things you asked me, captain." He gave his captain a stack of papers. "Papers from Knight-Captain Storm." A bundle of clothes. "Some discreet clothing." Tyler hesitated before giving him a small sack. "And Knight-Captain Ice asked me to give you these sweets. And Knight-Captain Judgement told me to warn you that you are wanted in the Holy Temple and..." The vice-captain hesitated a little more before giving what he considered the most strange message. "Knight-Captain Sun said something very lenghty and incomprehensible that ended with '...under the grace of the God of Light, impart with Brother Hell these very words, without the slightest variation: _He _will have _my_ hide if _you _don't come over.' Or something like this."

Knight-Captain Hell usually didn't show much expression. Even if he did, most of it was covered by his assassin mask. But this night Tyler was sure his captain was terribly disturbed by the news.

"Captain, sir? Will you go to the Holy Temple?"

"I will." Roland answered with a grim tone.

* * *

The two holy knights – captain and vice-captain – started their way towards the Holy Temple. It was a chilly night, and Tyler would have liked to walk in a brisk pace, but Knight-Captain Hell was walking as if unaffected by the cold. He seemed to be walking even slower than his normal pace, as if he dreaded arriving at the Temple.

"Tyler?"

The vice-captain was startled by his captain's sudden call.

"Yes, captain?"

"Do you still resent for my sudden arrival at the Holy Temple?"

"No!" Tyler denied fervently, and it was true. In the first few weeks after the arrival of "Supreme Dragon" he'd been infuriated and rebellious, partly because he didn't want to be demoted from his higher position, partly because of genuine concern about handing his platoon to a guy who wore black leotard. But as the Twelve Holy Knights welcomed Supreme Dragon in their ranks, and the vice-captains welcomed their captains' improvement of mood, and the other knights welcomed Supreme Dragon's expertise with the sword, Tyler's refusal to accept him had become a matter of pure stubbornness. Stubbornness that Captain Hell had beaten out of him during their duels.

"Really?" Tyler wasn't as skilled as the other vice-captains in deciphering hidden thoughts fom his captain, but he was pretty sure Captain Hell was surprised to hear that.

"Really!" He assured. "In the beginning I was very upset, but now I realize I was just being stubborn. There is no one who's better suited to command the Hell Knight Platoon than you, captain."

Hearing that, Roland was silent for a long moment. They kept walking, and soon entered a small plaza with a fountain murmuring softly.

"Let us sit, Tyler. I should talk to you."

They sat by the fountain, and it was a few more minutes before the Hell Knight talked again.

"Tyler," Roland began. "I would like you to know that my name isn't really 'Supreme Dragon'."

Tyler nodded. He expected that, for he couldn't think of parents who would, in their right mind, name their child "Supreme Dragon". The Hell Knight went on.

"My name is Roland. And I suppose it would be better if you, as my vice-captain, knew my face. It wouldn't do if you couldn't recognize me when I'm not wearing this." He gestured to the black leotard with silvery armor. Then, slowly he removed his mask.

Together with the mask, other disguising features were disabled, causing Roland's hair to return to its pale chestnut color, and his eyes to their pale, greenish blue. The lines of his face were hard, not because of his complexion, but because of his serious nature. A woman would probably find him attractive, but his wasn't a face to stand out in the crowds. And Tyler found it old, as a person who had suffered a lot.

"If you don't mind me saying it, captain, I think the other holy knights in the platoon should see you without your mask too." Tyler suggested.

Putting back his mask, Roland nodded.

"If I have the time for that."

* * *

When he entered the Holy Temple, Roland went straight to his room. He wasn't sure if he would be there by the morning to correct those papers for Storm. But before he started reading the first paper, his door was opened with a kick.

"Hell! Why didn't you warn anyone that you were back? It was pure luck I crossed Tyler on the corridors." The vice-captain, who was being dragged by Knight-Captain Blaze, shot his own captain an apologetic look. Ignoring him, Blaze continued to talk. "You are to go to the Temple Gardens at once."

Desperate, Roland tried one last appeal.

"But it's the middle of the night."

Blaze looked at him, wearing a serious expression.

"If you want to use this as your excuse, _you _tell _him._"

* * *

As he entered the garden, Roland felt the nightly wind and stopped, listening to the quiet. He couldn't felt the touch of the breeze, nor smell the flowers, but he could sense the garden brimming with life: the plants, the insects, and further inside the Temple, holy knights deep in their sleep. It would be very peaceful, if it weren't for the fact...

"...that you don't belong." Calad appeared behind him and finished quietly. "Come, let us be seated."

Roland followed him into the garden and they sat on the ground, among thick bushes of fragrant flowers. Seated, there wasn't much of a height difference, and Calad had a serious expression that canceled the youth he usually displayed.

"Take off the mask, Roland."

Roland obliged, and Calad seemed to study his features. The God of Light sighed.

"It saddens me that you've been avoiding me for so long, Roland. Why have you done that?"

"It is throughoutly known that the God of Light bears no love for the undead."

Calad sighed again.

"Yes, that. It is a wildly spread misconception, you know. I do hate the _making_ of undead. It's like a murder backwards. But you can't blame a murder on the victim. I don't hate you, Roland. I never did." He smiled and went on. "So stop acting as if you won't be here tomorrow to train your holy knights and correct the papers Sun gives Storm."

Roland smiled back stiffly. So he wasn't going to be destroyed. Not tonight. Suddenly Calad looked very upset.

"But what I hate the most is how unfair this all is to you. What you've got... It's no life. I wish you could be alive. Or dead. Anything but this in-between."

This hit so close to the mark that Roland was forced to say.

"I wish it was so, too."

"And I can't revive you, it's against the rules and War would be mad at me, and rightly so – gods shouldn't intervene in the affairs of men. But then again, the dead shouldn't intervene in the affairs of the living, and that's why Shadow and I are in this endless discussion..." He trailed off. "You died so young! And you wanted to be the Sun Knight!"

"I... I am okay about it now. Really."

Calad snorted.

"Right, of course. And you are okay about 'justice' as well? Because you know as well as I that those are the two things that drive you."

"Okay, perhaps I still regret not being chosen the Sun Knight." Roland conceded grudgingly. "But since we are at it, why wasn't I chosen?"

Calad didn't answer immediately. He even looked up in reminiscence and passed his arms around his knees.

"Well, that is hard to explain. My way of choosing the next generation of the Twelve Holy Knights is not as direct as Shadow's way of choosing the next Demon King, so every generation I have lots of candidates, but most of them don't even make it to the selection. And when they do, I trust my current Holy Knights to pick up their substitutes. I can only give them inspiration. And this time... I needed Grisia. He has... a way with people. You must know what I'm talking about. Even in your state, he still makes you care."

Suddenly Roland realized this was true. After the king was deposed, he had spent his days in Pink's house, not caring enough even to be bored. Then Grisia had showed up with his schemes and pushed him in the midst of the Holy Temple, and sometimes Roland found himself so immersed the Twelve Holy Knight's business that he completely forgot he wasn't alive.

"Yeah. Grisia has a way with people."

"Of course, you would have been a great leader, too." Calad seemed to hush into reassuring him. "But given what is to come, it was another kind of leadership we needed."

"'Given what is to come'? What is to come?"

Horror-stricken, Calad realized he had talked too much. But it was no good trying to change topics.

"Difficult times. That's all I can say without Shadow and War pestering me. But since we are at it, Grisia will need you. Badly."

"Do you trust me? For taking care of him?"

"I've always trusted you to take care of each other. Always. So promise me you will be here for him."

"I will."

"Even if it is dangerous?"

"Yes."

"Even if it is difficult?"

"Yes."

"Even if it hurts?"

"Yes."

Calad smiled at him. First like a person contemplating a sweet yet sad memory. Then his smile got brighter and wider until he just started laughing.

"What... What is the matter?"

"Oh, Roland! You're so serious all the time. You ought to smile more!"

"..."

"Oh, I know what you are thinking. 'But I am dead!' Who cares? In these last weeks you have dueled with Tyler, sparred with Judgement, instructed half the Holy Temple in sword-fighting, finished correcting documents in the nick of time, tasted sweets, gone on stealth missions, gone out of your way to avoid your boss – me - and had a heart to heart with your vice-captain. To me, it seems the schedule of a pretty lively person. So cheer up! You should enjoy life for as long as you're not exactly dead. And now, why don't you tell me about that secret mission Grisia has assigned you and how it went?"

Roland felt much happier than in the beginning of their conversation, so he complied and started talking. It wasn't as if Calad didn't know it alredy, but it was an excuse for Him to spend more time with His children.

Even if this particular "child" didn't belong with the living, he belonged with the Twelve Holy Knights.


	5. Prayer Three: The Hang of It

Zero Distance Prayers

**Prayer Three**: _The hang of it_

* * *

Talking to Blaze the other day had been reassuring, yes, but Ceo Storm wasn't about to take any chances. He had an excellent excuse not to leave his room: arranging matters for the arrival of a branch of the Monastery of the God of War required an awful amount of paperwork. Since he had Hell and Adair to help him, it was not overbearing, and it kept him away from the corridors where Calad stalked, smiling surreptitiously...

_Knock, knock, knock._

Storm was surprised. Not many people came knocking on his door. The few who did readily identified themselves, because they knew he wouldn't answer until he was sure it wasn't Sun coming to ask a "small favor".  
The person on the other side knocked again, and this time called aloud.  
"It's me." Storm flinched. He knew this voice. But the person added, just in case. "Calad."  
Ceo opened the door cautiously.  
"Yes, sir?"  
"Are you busy?" Calad asked worriedly.  
As an answer, Ceo opened the door a little wider, revealing the endless stacks of paper.  
"Oh, I see. What a fiendish amount of paperwork!" the God of Light looked dismayed. For about four seconds. "I can help you."  
"With paperwork?" Storm asked incredulously.  
Calad looked offended. He pouted.  
"I know I'm not as good at official stuff as War, but look, I can do _paperwork_!"  
"That... That's not what I meant. What I meant was... Well, it's just some documents, and you are", he certified that the corridor was empty, but lowered his voice just the same. "the God of Light. Somehow I don't think it is proper."  
"Nonsense. It's much faster if we can both work on it." Having said so, Calad stepped into Storm's room.

* * *

It wasn't that bad, Ceo reflected after some time, and work did go a lot faster. He watched in awe as the pile of corrected documents in front of Calad grew taller. The young man even found time to ask questions.

"When was it that you last sparred with one of the Twelve Holy Knights?"  
It had been such a long time ago that Ceo couldn't even remember.  
"But you like swordplay. And you need to keep fit, just correcting papers and gossiping won't do."  
"Well, if we finish those tonight I guess I'll have time..."  
"Blaze will surely spar with you, but make sure you invite Cloud, okay? He needs to go out a little. Some guys from the 'cruel, cold-hearted faction' could do with some exercising, too, but it would be weird if you asked them to spar... Or you could invite them for a friendly sparring disguised as a really bad argument. What do you think?"  
Storm was surprised at the suggestion. It wasn't that he disliked the 'cruel, cold-hearted faction' particularly, he knew they were only scary because they had a facade to keep, but he didn't hang around with them, either. He was very touched about Calad's concern with the health of the Twelve Holy Knights, though, so he promised to give it a try.

"That's great." Calad beamed.  
They kept correcting documents in silence. As the minutes stretched into hours, Storm felt more and more like asking Calad if what Blaze had said was true. If he didn't care that most of his Twelve Holy Knights weren't like "the whole continent knows". But he kept silent and their work progressed.  
"I'm done with my half." Calad finally announced, suppressing a yawn. "Do you need help with yours?"  
"Actually," Storm finished scratching his signature in the bottom of the page barely looking to its contents, "I'm done too."  
"Fantastic. So since it's still early, can you do me..."  
To Storm, time froze. It was nighttime, and even if he hadn't had to pull an all-nighter, it wasn't exactly early. He knew he was about to be asked a _small favor_. He knew it was going to happen since the first time he had put his eyes in Calad. He looked too much like Sun.  
"...a really big favor?"  
Or perhaps not.

* * *

"A really big favor?"

"Yes. Because, well, I know you don't like it, but I really, really need your help, because it's something only you can do!"  
Calad looked so desperate that Storm decided to do whatever was in his power to help.  
"What do you need me to do?"  
"Storm, you need to teach me how to get some girls!"  
"What?!"  
"I was walking around the Sanctuary of Light, and there are such cute clerics there! But when I tried to talk to them they just ignored me, or exchanged looks and giggled. And when they just giggle it's more or less okay, but not if they exchange looks first. And I don't understand, because I used to be really popular with the goddesses, but I think I've lost the hang of it... And don't look at me like this! It's not as if I'm going to make demigods! I just want to have some fun..."  
Storm tried hard not to gape. After he mastered his surprise, his first impulse was telling Calad to go ask Earth. He stopped himself just in time. Calad probably knew all about the Twelve Holy Knights' faults of character, but he wasn't about tattle his friends. Besides, the "shy and honest" Earth Knight couldn't possibly be seen teaching someone how to flirt.

"Hmm... Sure, Calad. Anything for you."

* * *

"So... let us start with your wink. Wink at me as if I was an attractive female cleric."

"Okay, there's nothing wrong with your wink." In fact, Strom was even a little envious that a mere teenager would have a wink on pair with the one he had practiced for years... But wait, he remembered. Calad wasn't a mere teenager. "Perhaps it has something to do with your timing. When you winked at them, what were those clerics you mentioned doing?"

"They were just chatting in the corridors..."

From his experience, but mainly from Earth's experiences, Ceo knew there wasn't such a thing as "just chatting in the corridors" when females were involved. The feminine behavior was a complex and (in his opinion) pointless study.

Calad looked at him expectantly, forcing him to make a decision.

"Let's go to the Sanctuary of Light. Let me see you charming some clerics."

* * *

Going to the Sanctuary of Light wasn't a good idea, after all. The clerics all clustered around that footloose charmer the Storm Knight, and Calad didn't had a chance to even wink at them. Separated by the swarm of clerics, they took some time to regroup in a calmer place.

"We need to go somewhere that doesn't have _so many_ females." Ceo said breathlessly. He looked quickly at Calad, hoping his sentence wasn't being interpreted as a character fault.

Calad only nodded. After some thought, Storm suggested.

"We should go to the tavern. The waitresses don't over react when I go there, and... there are enough of them for both of us." Because, logically, if he was going somewhere, he had to flirt. But, also logically, if he was teaching Calad how to flirt, then he couldn't flirt with all the girls around the place. _That_, Storm thought, must be some sort of punition.

* * *

In the end, the tavern was the perfect solution. At first the establishment's owner had thought Calad was too young to frequent taverns, but after some free-spirited Storm Knight speech, she was willing to let it pass. All in the name of liberty...

"So, what is your plan?" Ceo asked.

Like all students that weren't expecting for a question, in a slip second Calad devised, executed mentally, measured the chances of success and discarded a dozen plans. He finally set to the most basic.

"I'll choose a waitress as a target and, when she looks at me, I'll wink at her?"

_Is this a question or an answer?,_ Ceo thought, musing if that was how his teacher had felt while teaching him. Remembering his teacher also helped him to come up with the next part of the lesson.

"There is a fundamental fault in your plan. You shouldn't wink at a girl when she _looks _at you. You should wink to a girl when she _is looking_ at you."

"But, what is the difference?"

"The difference is that people look at things all the time, and while they do they scarcely _see_ those things. But when people _keep looking_, it means you hold their complete and undivided attention. And that is fundamental to flirting." Now Storm felt he was repeating his teacher's teachings word by word. Gosh! He didn't know he had such a good memory! "Because flirting, my boy, is an act of _provocation_. Of instigating the interest of the fairer sex. You can throw all the provocations you want, but they'll never work if you're just a passing thought in the back of someone's mind."

Calad's eyes gleamed.

"I see... And how do I get the girl's complete and undivided attention?"

"First, by the means of being extremely handsome." Storm paused. Calad didn't had any trouble in that part. "And, if it is not enough, by staring."

Calad tilted his head, puzzled.

"I thought it was rude to stare."

"Ah, but the trick is to stare without being rude. In my teacher's words" - that technically were his teacher's teacher's words, since he was repeating his teacher's words - " 'you have to stare at her as if she was the most fascinating thing in the world'."

Calad fell into a deep silence, and nodded as if he had acquired understanding over one of the great secrets of the universe. Ceo himself wasn't sure of how that stare was supposed to be, but since Calad seemed to have accepted this explanation, he wasn't elaborating any further.

"So, when do I start?"

Storm was already expecting that question.

"The waitress is bringing your drink. I'll use the chance to go to the counter and gossip with the owner, and you can start staring at any serving girl you like."

* * *

Ms. Rye was a widow and took care of the tavern since her husband had died. She refused to sell the place or close it, in memory to her beloved husband that had always dreamed of having his own commerce. Ceo knew this through the gossip of the serving girls, but in the bustle of the tavern, he'd never had the chance to speak – and, as his position unfortunately required, flirt – with the lady.

"You are most lovely tonight, my lady." He said with his best smile and flirtatious wink. In the extreme corner of his vision, he watched Calad pick up a serving girl and start staring at her.

"Oh, save your winks for the girls, Captain Storm. Will you have something to drink?"

The serving girl Calad had picked had finally felt herself being observed, and the disguised God was doing his best to look cool while he watched her every movement. He answered absentmindedly.

"I am already drunk in your presence, madam..."

"Captain Storm!"

"...but I'll have a mug of your finest ale," and, just in case, added, "since your ladyship wants to take my gold as well as my heart."

"You're helpless, Captain Storm." She said as she disappeared in the back to bring his drink.

Ceo barely noticed she was gone. The other girls had noticed Calad staring at their friend, and now they were nudging her and making it impossible for the girl to ignore him and keep up with her work. When Ms. Rye came back, Ceo asked her about how business was going, and split his attention between watching Calad, filling in the information and throwing the older woman the occasional wink and pick up line.

The tavern owner was telling him about the hardships of directing her business when the serving girl finally went to Calad to demand why he was staring at her. He replied with a smile, a wink and a compliment that made Storm proud and the girl blush. Relieved that things were working all right for his god, Ceo was able to give, for the first time that night, his complete and undivided attention to Ms. Rye.

"You are a strong woman, Ms. Rye." He said, when she had finished talking. He said it unthinkingly, from heart, because her tale had really moved him. It wasn't easy for a widow to conduct a business these days.

And, to his utter surprise, this simple sentence did what his relentless flirting wasn't able to.

Ms. Rye blushed.

Storm got to his feet, mechanically took the mistress hand and pressed there a silver ducat, telling her to keep the change because her eyes were pretty. Then he stormed out, grabbing Calad on the way, and didn't stop until they got to the Holy Temple.

"Aw, why did we have to go?" The boy protested. "I was almost..."

"It's good to keep them waiting. Makes you more interesting." Storm interrupted. "Besides, you can go back there tomorrow."

"Okay..." Dejected, the God of Light went to his room, leaving Storm alone in the corridors.

Walking slowly, as to not disturb the sleepers in the Temple, but mainly as to not disturb his own frail train of thought, Ceo Storm examined what had happened that night.

He had made a woman blush.

Not with a pick up line used and approved by generations of Storm Knights, but with a single sentence of his own.

After the initial shock, he felt rather proud.

* * *

**Okay, that is it. I hope you liked this chapter. It was very difficult for me to write it. Please review and tell me how can I do better.**

**Also, please consider this like a goodbye chapter, because next Monday I'll be travelling and I won't be around in fanfiction net for 18 months.**

**I hope to see all of you when I'm back, in November (or December) 2014.**


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